Know Your Sickle Cell Status

By

Medical Editor Dr. Corey Hebert

on

September 26, 2018

Thinkstock

A lot of y’all don’t know that if you have Sickle cell disease it can affect many things including fertility in both males and females, but more often in males than in females. This difference is probably because of the delay in puberty causing abnormal sperm and sometimes lower testosterone.

It’s also very likely that males with sickle cell disease have an increase in testicular dysfunction and prostate gland issues which could cause a marked decrease in ejaculate volume. With regular prenatal care, most women with Sickle Cell Disease(SCD) can have a healthy pregnancy. But if you have SCD, you’re more likely than other women to have health complications that can affect your pregnancy.

How sickle cell disease affects pregnancy depends on whether you have sickle cell disease or sickle cell trait. Some women with sickle cell disease have no change in their disease during pregnancy. In others, the disease may get worse. Painful events called sickle cell crises may still occur in pregnancy. If you have kidney disease or heart failure before you get pregnant, it may get worse during pregnancy as well. Some women may need blood transfusions to replace the sickle cells with fresh blood. These may be done several times during the pregnancy. Blood transfusions can help the blood carry oxygen and lower the number of sickle cells.

Pregnant women with sickle cell trait can also have a kind of anemia caused by not having enough iron in their blood. If you have this type of anemia, you may need to take iron supplements. In pregnancy, it is important for blood cells to be able to carry oxygen. With sickle cell anemia, the abnormal red blood cells and anemia may result in lower amounts of oxygen going to your developing baby. This can slow down the baby’s growth. Early and regular prenatal care is important if you are pregnant and have sickle cell disease. Having prenatal visits allows your healthcare provider to keep a close watch on you and the health of developing baby. During pregnancy, SCD may increase your risk of Miscarriage, Premature birth, and Having a baby with low birthweight.

So, before you get pregnant its so important to know if your partner has sickle cell disease Or sickle cell trait.

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